Scotland + Swimming holidays | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/scotland+swimming-holidays
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Travel news roundup: wilderness Scotland and visa-free Kazakhstanhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/jul/12/corkboard-travel-news-roundup-soctland-kazakhstan
Plus: What's cooking in Copenhagen, dinosaurs at the Eden Project and foot-pampering on the move in Japan<p>This new, romantic one-bedroom lodge on Scotland's remote Knoydart peninsula is accessible only by foot or boat. Knoydart Hide, near Inverie, offers sleek accommodation in an unspoilt setting, which you can admire through floor-to-ceiling windows or outdoor hot tub with views of Loch Nevis.<br /><em>• From &pound;142 a night, sleeps two adults and two</em><strong> </strong><em>children, </em><a href="http://www.coolstays.com/property/knoydart-hide/16886" title=""><em>coolstays.com/knoydart-hide</em></a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/jul/12/corkboard-travel-news-roundup-soctland-kazakhstan">Continue reading...</a>ScotlandKazakhstanSwimming holidaysTravelSat, 12 Jul 2014 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/jul/12/corkboard-travel-news-roundup-soctland-kazakhstanJames Ram/PRT Rex at Eden project, Cornwall. Photograph: James RamPRDavid Edwards/Getty ImagesKazakhstan is going visa-free for a year. Photograph: David Edwards/Getty ImagesPRKnoydart HidePRKnoydart HideRachel Dixon2014-07-12T06:00:00ZWild river swimming: top 10 readers' travel tipshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/aug/12/wild-swimming-top-10-river-swims
Fancy swimming somewhere a bit more exciting than a chlorinated pool? Here are readers' top tips for safe river swims all over the world<br /><br />To add a tip for next week and to be in with a chance of winning a Jack Wolfskin tent, go to <a href="https://witness.theguardian.com/" title="">guardianwitness</a><p>You might not imagine the Middle East as a swimmer's paradise, but Wadi Bani Khalid in Oman's Sharqiyah region is a lush oasis. Crystal-clear water runs over bleached stones, with plenty of opportunities for jumping off rocks and sliding down natural waterslides before floating downstream under the desert sun. <a href="http://bit.ly/17z7s5H" title=""><em>bit.ly/17z7s5H</em></a> <br /><strong>lauralikeswater</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/aug/12/wild-swimming-top-10-river-swims">Continue reading...</a>Swimming holidaysSwimmingLake DistrictScotlandTravelTop 10sMon, 12 Aug 2013 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/aug/12/wild-swimming-top-10-river-swimsGetty ImagesWadi Bani Khaled Photograph: Getty ImagesGetty ImagesWadi Bani Khaled Photograph: Getty ImagesGuardian readers2013-08-12T11:00:00ZWild swimming in the UK: 10 top spotshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/may/10/wild-swimming-uk-10-top-rivers-pools
The secluded beauty of wild swimming in the UK makes for the perfect alfresco dip – and you're never too far away from great campsites, castles, gardens, pubs and restaurants either<p>This spring-fed quarry lake is the perfect suntrap. The beautiful jade water glistens within a rocky amphitheatre and there are flat ledges for jumping and grassy areas for picnics and sunbathing. It's a beautiful walk out on to the moor past <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hurlers_%28stone_circles%29" title="">the Hurlers</a> – one of the most complete remains of a stone circle in the south-west. From the Hurlers car park in Minions, follow the track, which heads north on to the moor; walk past the circle and after 15 minutes bear left at the junction. You can return via the Pony Pool and the &quot;Cheese Ring&quot; tor: a stack of weathered rocks piled up like lumps of&nbsp;mozzarella.<br /><em>Grid reference: 50.5248, -4.4711</em></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/may/10/wild-swimming-uk-10-top-rivers-pools">Continue reading...</a>Swimming holidaysUnited KingdomSwimmingEnglandWalesScotlandTop 10sTravelFitnessLife and styleFri, 10 May 2013 20:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/may/10/wild-swimming-uk-10-top-rivers-poolsPicasa/guardian.co.ukTaking the plunge … the UK's wild swimming locations are worth making a splash aboutPicasa/guardian.co.ukTaking the plunge … the UK's wild swimming locations are worth making a splash aboutDaniel Start2013-05-10T20:00:00ZThe UK's best beacheshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/aug/07/best-beaches-in-the-uk
Whether you're looking for sandy solitude, that perfect wave or space to let the kids run wild, we've got dozens of beaches for you, many of them boasting blue flags <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/aug/07/best-beaches-in-the-uk">Continue reading...</a>Beach holidaysFamily holidaysUnited KingdomSwimming holidaysDorsetEssexWalesNorthern IrelandScotlandDevonWater sports holidaysTravelFri, 06 Aug 2010 23:05:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/aug/07/best-beaches-in-the-ukAlamyClear water bay ... turquiose sea at Huisinis beach on the Isle of Harris, Scotland. Photograph: AlamyAlamyHuisinis beach, Isle of Harris, Scotland.
Photograph: AlamyNell Card2010-08-06T23:05:15ZTime to make a splash | Kate Rewhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/14/wild-swimming-outdoor-society
Wild swimming has never been more popular, but we bathers must club together to win the right to swim in nature<p>One hot, glorious Saturday – perhaps not this one – you might feel the urge to pack your swimming kit in a rucksack and dive into one of the clear, cool inland stretches of water in England and Wales. But while walkers, climbers, cyclists, windsurfers and sailors know where they can and can't go to enjoy their sport, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/series/kate-rew-wild-swim" title="wild swimmers">wild swimmers</a> have a problem: it's not clear, unless they live in Scotland, that they have the right to swim anywhere.</p><p>There might be a stretch of river near them where families have always swum. Do they have a historic right of access? Probably. Although if the council or park authorities thought they'd better forbid it (&quot;health and safety&quot;), they'd have to go to the courts to find out. They might try a &quot;navigable&quot; river – <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2009/sep/30/swimming-holidays-water-sports-holidays" title="the Thames">the Thames</a>, the Wye, the Lugg – anywhere where you can take a boat. Can they swim there? Maybe – if a swimmer can be said to count as a &quot;navigable craft&quot;.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/14/wild-swimming-outdoor-society">Continue reading...</a>Swimming holidaysSwimmingWater sports holidaysWalesScotlandTravelWalesSat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/14/wild-swimming-outdoor-societyChristopher Furlong/Getty ImagesSwimming to Snowdonia: Lady Alice Douglas swims in Llyn Mymbyr in Capel Curig, North Wales. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesKate Rew2009-11-14T12:00:00ZTravel writing competition, UK: A trip for all timehttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/sep/19/uk-holidays-readers-writing-competition
Much has changed over 25 years, but Louise Chapman finds the sheer fun is one constant of her annual trip to the Lake District. Plus read the runners up in the UK category<p>The view. The panoramic I've gazed at for the last 25 years, and probably the only thing that hasn't changed in that time. It's comforting to see it sprawled out before me - it means the holiday I have looked forward to all year has begun. But this year is different. I take a deep breath of fresh Lakeland air. It's the last year I'll be one of the kids.</p><p>At 32, you may question why I still feel I'm a kid, but our bubble of a holiday has a formula. Five families with a combined total of 14 &quot;children&quot; take over Lonscale Fell hostel in the Lake District for 10 days. We go on walks, high-level with Charles or low-level with Paula, eat delicious meals and sample many real ales. Fred's favourite sentence: &quot;23 pints of Old Peculiar and 15 packets of crisps please barman ... magic!&quot; resonates throughout the holiday, the number of pints growing steadily throughout the years, as the &quot;kids&quot; all grow up. It's fun! Enough fun to keep 14 children wanting to go on holiday with their parents, and so enjoyable that most of our partners now come along too. But this year is the last of its kind. One of the original kids is eight months pregnant. Next year equals next generation. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/sep/19/uk-holidays-readers-writing-competition">Continue reading...</a>United KingdomLake DistrictFamily holidaysWalking holidaysScotlandFestivalsCultural tripsSwimming holidaysTravelling soloSelf-cateringLondonCornwallGlasgowSailing holidaysTravelFri, 18 Sep 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/sep/19/uk-holidays-readers-writing-competitionLouise ChapmanLouise Chapman reliving memories in Wainwright’s footsteps. Photograph: Louise ChapmanLouise ChapmanLouise Chapman scrmabling in the Lake District
Photograph: Louise ChapmanGuardian Staff2009-09-18T23:01:00ZVideo: Wild swim: Skye's Fairy Poolshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2009/aug/21/wild-swim-skye-fairy-pools
Kate Rew finds real magic swimming in the Fairy Pools in the midst of the Isle of Skye's Cuillin Mountain range, in the first of our series of wild swimming videos <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2009/aug/21/wild-swim-skye-fairy-pools">Continue reading...</a>Swimming holidaysScotlandUnited KingdomWater sports holidaysShort breaksTravelIsle of SkyeFri, 21 Aug 2009 15:48:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2009/aug/21/wild-swim-skye-fairy-poolsGuardianSwimming in the Isle of Skye's Fairy Pools. Photograph: Kate Maw/GuardianLindsay Poulton, Michael Tait, Nigel Pickford and Graham Hadfield2009-08-21T15:48:00ZWild swim: a magical dip in Skye's Fairy Poolshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/21/wild-swimming-scotland-kate-rew
Kate Rew falls under the spell of Skye's crystal-clear Fairy Pools, in the first of our new series of wild swimming videos<p>If you were a mischievous fairly with eternal life and the power to enthral people, it'd make great sense to live here, bewitching passing walkers to take off all their clothes. The spell of the Fairy Pools is that they look as if they must be warm – with the kind of vivid blue water associated with the Maldives – but, having come straight down from the Black Cuillins they're anything but. A local swimmer warns us they're on the usual Scottish temperature range: cold, bastard cold or freezing.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/21/wild-swimming-scotland-kate-rew">Continue reading...</a>Swimming holidaysScotlandUnited KingdomShort breaksTravelIsle of SkyeFri, 21 Aug 2009 08:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/21/wild-swimming-scotland-kate-rewGuardianSwimming in the Isle of Skye's Fairy Pools. Photograph: Kate Maw/GuardianKate Rew2009-08-21T08:30:00Z10 swimming beacheshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk1
We're not saying the water will be bath temperature, but if you fancy a swim in the sea this summer then these are the ideal spots<p><strong>Blackpool Sands, Devon</strong><br />A one-mile-long cuticle of sand and shingle flanked by steep wooded cliffs. Take a dip in the clear, blue waters or paddle in the shallows. For added fun, a bathing raft (a small floating dock, with a ladder) bobs out at sea from July. Behind the Blue Flag crescent of sand is the eco-friendly Venus Cafe, a car park and a restored 19th-century subtropical garden. Apparently this is where England's last stagecoach stick-up took place in 1873.</p><p><strong>Studland Bay, Purbeck, Dorset</strong><br />A family friendly beach, covered in soft sand. The water is suitable for swimming and very popular, although there are no lifeguards stationed here. The best way to arrive at the three-mile-long stretch of National Trust-owned sands is by car chain ferry from Sandbanks across Poole Harbour (reputedly the second largest natural harbour in the world). That way you get a real feel for the sense of Purbeck being cast adrift and deliciously mothballed. A small section of the beach (Knoll Beach) has been reserved for naturists, so if you want to avoid a shock, head for the stretch beside the National Trust's cafe shop and WC about halfway along. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk1">Continue reading...</a>TravelBeach holidaysUnited KingdomIrelandDevonScotlandWalesSwimming holidaysSat, 14 Jul 2007 22:46:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk1Paul Gogarty2007-07-14T22:46:13Z10 tidal islandshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk21
When is an island not an island? When, for a few hours each day, the low tide reveals a strip of land joining it to the mainland. Always check the tide times in advance - or get ready to swim back ...<p><strong>Hilbre, Dee Estuary, the Wirral</strong><br />Hilbre is a designated nature reserve, its marshes, mudflats and sandbanks providing winter homes for many species of birds, particularly waders. Grey seals can also be seen around the island. Conditions can get extremely rough and with only the ranger living here permanently, facilities are nonexistent. However, if it's splendid isolation and a spot of bird-watching you're after, you couldn't pick a better place. <br /><a href="http://www.wirral.gov.uk/er/hilbre.htm">wirral.gov.uk/er/hilbre.htm</a></p><p><strong>St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear</strong><br />The spectacular, pure white lighthouse on this rocky plateau was built in 1898 but is no longer in use. Which is good news for the public, as the climb up the 137 steps to the top is rewarded with some of the best views on the north-east coast. A nature reserve surrounds the lighthouse, and the island's rockpools are home to a large variety of marine life.<br /><a href="http://www.visitnortheastengland.com">visitnortheastengland.com</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk21">Continue reading...</a>TravelBeach holidaysUnited KingdomCornwallScotlandEssexSwimming holidaysSat, 14 Jul 2007 10:03:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jul/14/beach.uk21St Michael's Mount. Photograph: Skyscan/CorbisHelen Ochyra2007-07-14T10:03:06ZThe Isle of Wight - with a natural hint of greenhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jun/10/escape.isleofwight
Catherine Mack on the perfect place to climb trees, swim and relax in the sun - plus the odd unicorn<p>Gone are the purple rinses. The Isle of Wight is the new black - or should I say green? It surfs, it sculpts, it sings and it shouts sustainability. It also would have cost the best part of a hundred quid to get there by car ferry the weekend I wanted to travel, which encouraged me to go green and leave the car at home. It was cheaper for my family to travel by train from London with a family railcard. </p><p>The island even has an eco-friendly tourism website with suggestions on how to enjoy this beautiful place without destroying what it has to offer. A website which adds 'chilling' to its list of activities wins my vote straight away. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jun/10/escape.isleofwight">Continue reading...</a>TravelIsle of WightGreen travelCycling holidaysHotelsUnited KingdomYorkshireScotlandFamily holidaysShort breaksSwimming holidaysSun, 10 Jun 2007 13:41:21 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jun/10/escape.isleofwightCatherine and sons in front of the Shack. Photo: Catherine MackCatherine Mack2007-06-10T13:41:21Z